Automatic mine-shaft gate



Feb; 12 1924.-. 1,483,243

` R. QUIGLEY ET AL AUTOMATIC MTNET SHAFT GATE Filed Aug. 21 1922 I 2 sheets-Sheet 1 \3g7 y I3 t [w oV man 2 34 33 o* d o /7 da, 293a in' za V9 27 A Qwumcw Y Mij QW E James Cahn g am Febo I. IR. QUIGLEYETAL AUTOMATIC MINE SHAFT GATE Filed Aug. 2;,1922 zvsneets-snet a Patented Feb. l2, 1924.

UNH'FED STATES EoEEnT QUIGLEY ANn JAMES CUNNINGHAM, or PORTAGE, PENNSYLVANIA.V

AUTOMATIC MINE-SHAFT GATE.

Application led August 21, 1922.

To all whom t may concern.'

. Be it known that we, ROBERT QUIGLEY and JAMES CUNNINGHAM, citizens of the United States, residing at Portage, in the county of Cambria and State of Pennsyl- Vania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Mine-Shaft Gates, of which the following is a specification. l

This invention relates to mine-shaft- -gates, and more specifically, to an improved electro-mechanical kgate-operating mechanism. f

One object of the invention is to provide an improved means whereby the mine-cage automatically controls a switch in the elec tric circuit that supplies power foropening and closing` the gate.

Another object is to provide an improved current-reversing switch for controlling reversal of the motor that formspart of the mechanism for opening andV closing the gate.

Another object is to provide an improved mechanism whereby the gate operates a doublepole switch that controls the motor-current.

entrance of thel shaft, and my improved gate-operat1ng mechanism.

Figure 2 is a horizontal view of the de-` vice partly in section,

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail view of a part of the cage-controlled mechanism and the reversing switch that it controls.

lFigure 4 is a diagrammatic veiw of the motor and its electric circuit.

Referring to these drawings in connection vwith the above mentioned reference characters, the cage-landing is represented by the portion of the horizontal line lat 5, and the gate 6 being provided with uprights 7 and wheels 8, the. latter being mounted to roll Serial No. 583,294.

on a track 9. Springs 10 are 'providedfat each end of the track to cushion the shock of the gate at eachend of its path of travel. A raclr 11 is secured to the gate by any aplpropriate means, and meshes with a pinion 12 on the driving shaft 13 of a'transmission -5 gear member which includes a gear-wheel 14. The latter meshes with apinion 15 on the driving shaft of an electric motor 16 which is in circuit with any appropriate' source of electromotive force through the medium of an arrangement of conductors and switches that will presently be described. lhe motor 16 is preferably S-phase alternating current, and two ofits terminals-are directly connected to conducting wires- 17 and ing device that is operable by means on or carried by the rack 11. Thisreversing device comprises a barv 22 pivotally mounted on two levers 23 and 24 disposed substantially in the vertical plane of the rack 11 and slight-ly spaced above the latter. The rack 11 is provided with an abutment or pusher 25 that moves' against the lower end of the lever 24 and shiftsit from its vertical position to a leftwardly inclined posit-ion,-

and this shifts the bar 22 leftward, andin doing so, one of its pins 26 -rocksfthe switch `f 20 and disconnects it from the contacts y27 whilemoving it into connection with contacts 28. The purpose of this switch will presently appear.

The contacts 28 are connected respectively t0 conducting wires29 and 3.0 which have their other ends connected to a` pair of springs or contact members preferably such as shown at 31 in Fig. 3, and indicated diagrammatically in Fig.,4. The contacts 27, f

of the switch 19, are connected to conducting wires 33 and. 34 which are connected ato contacts 35 and 36 (Fig. 4), similar 4toxthe onen shown in Fig.v3, and two more of such contacts, shown at 37 and 38,-Fig. v4,' are in i connection with the feed-wires or conductors 39 and 40 which are connected or connectible with any electric generator of any yappropriate hindi' Referring now to Fig. 2, in'which -41 designates the mine-cage, and to 3; 4it will heseen that a roller 42 is carried by a Vportion 43 of the cage. A bow-spring 44 is secured on they framing 45k of the elevator-` fone direction by the rod 46 a jointed link 54 rand anarm 55, the latter being secured 4 to the shaft 53 and pivoted to the link 54.

Any appropriatev guiding support, not Shown, may be provided` for the link 54. The rotary switch 48 is shifted in the opposite direction by means of a weighted arm or llever 56, and a dash-pot is indicated Vat 57 Y vfor retarding the lever 56 in shifting the switch 48.

A spring or depressible pusher 58 is mounted on the rack 11, and its free end coacts with a shoulder 59, on the lower end ofthe lever 23, for returning the switch 2O to its normal position (shown in Fig. l) when the gate closes, through the medium of the bar 22, as will presently appear.

The operationof the device is as follows: When the cage 41 approaches the landingkplace 5, its roller 42 presses the bow-spring 44 so as to push `the rod 46 rightward (Fig. 3)y and permit'the weighted lever 56 to descend and turn the rotary switch 48, this brings :the contacts 49 and 50 out of engagement with the fingers or contacts 31, 37 and 38'v (the normal position shown in Fig. 3), and brings the contacts 51 and 52 into engagement with the fingers 35, '36, 37y and 38. The circuit is now closed between the motor 16 and the generator-conductors 39 and 40 and starts the motor to ruiming in the direction for opening the gate. This is done through the medium of the vgearing which includes the rac-k 11, pinionV 12 and gear wheels 14 and 15. When the gate approaches its open position, the lug or pusher 25 presses the lever 24 and shifts it so as to move the'switch-member 20 out of engagement with the contacts 2sand into enga-gement with the contacts 28, thereby ybreaking the circuit, and the circuit stays broken so v long as the cage remains at this landing and depressesl the springs 44 and 47; but as soon as the cage releases `these springs, the spring 47. shifts the rod 46 to its normal position shown in Fig. 3, so that the contacts 49 and fifty are again engaged by the contacts 31, '37 and'38, thereby not (only closing `the circuit, but also reversing it, so that the motor 16-nowlruns in the direction for closing the gate. As the gate closes, its spring 58 engages the lug or shoulder 59 and thereby shifts the lever 23 so as to move the switchmember 2O to its normal position shown in Fig. 1, and in this position the circuit is broken, because the switch member 20 is now out of circuit with the contacts 31, and the motor remains inoperative until the switch 48 is again operated by the cage and its connections. As the lever 23 moves Vto its normal inclined position shown in Fig. 1, its shoulder 60 depresses the spring 58 and releases it from the shoulder 59 so that the closing of the gate is not hindered by the spring 58.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that, though the switch 16 is i-n a sense a reversing switch, its operation, as such, is dependent on the switch 19, and vice versa.

It is Anot intended to limit this invention to the exact details of construction and arrangement as shown and described, but changes may be made within the scope of the inventive ideas as claimed.

lVe claim:

1. An automatic gate operating mechanism for mine shafts comprising a motor for moving said gate; a switch for alternately reversi-ng the direction of current supplied to said motor; and a second switch for a1- ternately connecting said motor with currents of proper direction to reverse the direction of its rotation.

2. An automatic gate operating mechanism for mine shafts, comprising a motor for moving said gate; a motor circuit; a switch in said circuit for reversing the direction of current flow therein; and a gate actuated selecting switch also in said circuit adapted to alternately supply currents of different direction from said reversing switch to said motor, to change the direction of rotation of the latter, said selecting switch being shiftable at substantially the end of each gate movement, and prior to actuation of said reversing switch.

3. An automatic gate Aoperating mechanism for mine shafts comprising a motor for moving said gate; a reversing switch controlled by the cage in said shaft for controlling the direction of rotation of said motor; and a two way switch controlled by said gate interposed between said reversing switch and motor, adapted to alternately break the circuit from said reversing switch for operating said motor in one direction, and to make the circuit from said reversing switch preparatory to operating said motor in the other direction.

4. An automatic gate operating mechanism for mine shafts comprising a motor for moving said gate; a motor circuit; a. reversing switch in said motor circuit, controlled by the cage in said shaft; a two Way switch in circuit with said reversing switch adapted to alternately break the circuits from said reversing switch-to said motor; and a gate carried trip for actuating said tWo Way switch.

5. The combination of a shaft, a cage to travel up and down therein, a gate to close an entrance to the shaft, a rack on the gate, an electricmotor, transmission gearing operatively connecting the motor to the rack so that when the motor travels in opposite directions it opens and closes the gate, a reversing switch included in the circuit With the motor, an 'actuating device constantly tending to reverse the said switch, springpressed means to hold said switch in its normal position, means operable by said cage for depressing the spring-pressed means and permitting said switch to be reversed, a double-throw switch in circuit With said motor, and means controllable by the gate for breaking the circuit during closing and opening movements of the gate.

In testimony whereof, We affix our signatures.

ROBERT QUIGLEY. JAMES CUNNINGHAM. 

